Is it just me or does Laura remind you of Caroline Flack...They're both in their 30's and tv presenters was a shock dance off
I can totally see her pulling a Caroline Flack, middle of the table to start, a good dancer but sometimes forgotten about, but she'll start gaining momentum and become a dark horse. I don't think she will win but I definitely think she can go far and she can develop a journey story as she wasn't as obviously as good to start

What do you think?

In my mind, no.

I honestly had Caroline as the winner from the start, it wasn't a surprising win and she didn't have much competition, especially as Jake started to falter and Trent was too marmite, thus hurting Pixie's chances.

Laura has far more competition and also Giovanni does not have the popularity of Pasha. I like them but I think they'll be lucky to make it past Blackpool with so many great partnerships. It also doesn't help that a lot of people think they've been overmarked.

I agree. Trent had the same effect on me as AJ does this year. Caroline and Pasha were a lovely partnership.

I think Gio will be Laura's downfall this year.I feel for her with the crap she has had to put up with,the producers knew exactly what would happen pairing them together.

She has to improve her Latin. But can't see it they have already been in the bottom two once. I can see her losing out to either Daisy or Louise in a dance off.

Putting her with Gio has not helped, none of which is her fault.

I hope not. I disliked Caroline Flack, thought she was a very weak contestant, as was Abbey.

No not really this year is far stronger than any other including 2014

If she stops dancing like a reanimated corpse , yes sure.

Don't think so. Caroline was in the bottom two much later in the series and I think she ended up gaining a lot of Alison's (and later Pixie's) votes when they went out. Plus Caroline was more or less top everyweek from last seven onwards so had the momentum and seemed to gain more support every week.

But she isnt even that bad?

Caroline didn't hit the Bottom 2 until week 7, she'd probably be better off trying to do a Simon Webbe. I think at this point 2nd/3rd is the upper limit of where she could feasibly finish.

Nah...she is just too bland; I believe that a man is going to win this year. Even Caroline had a lot of moments and sparkled on the dancefloor even though I wasnt a fan; with Laura I get nothing, nada, zilch.......

That's the impression I get too. She and Daisy have enviable (by me) legs, but those legs have no life in them.

I don't think so

Nope, Caroline was likeable and didn't come off quite so desperate for fame

Laura I find quite irritating

No, even Caroline would never have made this year's final, only Jay would have made it. I am only comparing recent years.

So different this year, some very good talent and Olympians who can dance,
then we have Rinder with his own fan base.

I still think Greg will win.

I like her, but I don't think she is very well known, and there are a lot of big characters, great dancers and Olympians this year, so lots of competition.

She's not a ringer (which I believe Caroline was?), so has a lot of work to do to catch up. Still, I hope she can last a few more weeks at least.

Neither are that likable but Caroline seemed less confident which may have won her fans Laura seems to think she is better than she is.

I don't think so. Louise, Ore and Danny are so much stronger than she is and put her in the shade. I think Pasha had a lot to do with Caroline's improvement. I know that's obvious in any partnership but I think he was quite tough and he really drove her and I remember Caroline apologising quietly to him after one of their dances, when she had made a mistake. It's difficult to imagine that scenario between Laura and Giovanni. The tough love clearly worked well for Caroline - that final showdance -

I didn't think Caroline was very good but I think Pasha's popularity and the amazing show dance he choreographed won the competition for her. Laura if she gets the chance could develop into a better dancer than Caroline. Samba/salsas are difficult for leggy girls but she proved she can sell a Latin dance. We still have to see how she copes with the paso and the rumba. Which are very different. She and Giovanni have the chemistry to pull off a really good rumba. She looked very elegant in the ballroom which Caroline wasn''t. I also think Laura's jive will be much better than Carolines was. However Giovanni is not as popular as some of the other pros and Laura is dancing in a year with big personalities and experienced dancers so the competition is tough. If she gets past Blackpool she may have a chance to reach the final but it will be difficult.

I agree. I would love to see her win because she has real potential for the J word and shown great strength of character to ignore the social media sniping. There is a huge amount of really good competition though. I think Danny and Ore have peaked way to early. This year's dark horse is Claudia and my money is on her picking up the glitterball.

Good morning, Lou . I also would like Laura to win or get to semifinal, but this year is so different. I think Greg will win it, only because Claudia is too short and very hard to
sell the dance. Like I said before, I think only Jay from recent years would have made this year's final.

Also like a lot of other people already mentioned, pairing her up with Gio didn't help. I see what the producers were trying to do but it backfired; in the sense that it's ending up hurting her chances in the competition. I don't even see her in the semi or finals; not with this group of celebrities. They're far more likable, interesting and talented partnerships than hers and Gio this year .

It wouldn't surprise me - if he keeps improving he's got an outside chance. Daisy is a complete wildcard or dark horse - there's a remote possibility she could win or she could end up as a shock elimination in the next few weeks. Claudia has a remote chance. Laura has none - the competition is too stiff. There are dancers who are much better - all the six people in with a chance (Danny, Ore, Louise, Daisy, Greg, Claudia) and there are dancers who are much more liked - I wouldn't be surprised if Laura doesn't even outlast any or even all of the following who have been saved from lower down in the leader board - Ed, Lesley or Judge Rinder - I wouldn't even be utterly amazed if she didn't outlast Anastasia I think it's unlikely but stranger things have happened. Being in the DO this early is NOT a harbinger of success - the earliest person to be in a DO who won was Abbey during Halloween week nor is obvious over-marking to hike her up the leader board to save her from the DO that resulted from it kicking in this early either.

Being in the dance off this early is not particularly good. However with so many tied sores that week which I don't think was an accident meant a bottom two shock. It has happened before so it is not as bad as it seems. 3 couples have made it to the final having been in the dance off inwerk 3. Christina/Simon Webb, Natasha and Brendan and Ian Waite and Denise Lewis.